Can't search while logged out

[Zinc]

I used to be able to use the search bar to search the forum while logged out, but now I need to be logged in. The search bar does not appear, and going to forums.factorio.com/search.php does not work either unless logged in. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? I understand if this is an intentional change (would it happen to be related to the recent forum issues?) - I just wanted to know if I am doing something wrong.

[eugenekay]

Yes, it seems like the ability to Search was recently restricted to Logged-In Users in phpBB. The Factorio Forums' database uses the MyISAM table type, which has been known to slow down during multiple concurrent Search queries. There have apparently been recent attacks against the forums. Disabling Search for not-logged-in users is an easy way to reduce the impact of Searches.

Good Luck!

[BHakluyt]

It also makes it impossible for my AI to search the forum how to mod stuff correctly for me...

[eugenekay]

OhNoAnyway.jpg (87.36 KiB) Viewed 427 times

[fmaw]

I'm also wondering if this is intentional or not.

For privacy reasons, I always hide behind a VPN and only login when I want to purchase or post something. I used to be able to easily read the 'Active topic' every day to see what's going on in the community. Now I have to login to read that.

Not a major issue, but an unfortunate one of it is indeed intentional. Navigating the internet anonymously is becoming more of a hassle day by day!

[Rseding91]

It is all intentional.

[BHakluyt]

It is all intentional.

I was one of the users requesting to add the active topics button back a while ago. Guess too many people check whats trending that way. I must have pressed that button at least 5 times a day when I have internet. Its a nice way to see whats going on. Happy it still works while logged in at least!

[Sanqui]

Disabling search for guests was intentional, and unfortunately "active topics" is considered search in phpBB despite being a simpler query. As the DDOS situation is stabilized we will probably re-enable it.

[Shirasik]

It also makes it impossible for my AI to search the forum how to mod stuff correctly for me...

So that was not DDoS attacks that's just AIs swiping through over and over again and again while thinking through.

[BHakluyt]

Nah I doubt it, at least not me. I operate on F free so I only use the free ones so I dont get to use it much often plus I don't have regular internet either. African deep in the African bush. So damn I hope I didn't cause a DDOS? lol thats impossible for a n00b. Or wait...that's exactly the kind of stuff n00bs do!!!? I'm lost. Cheers! Factorio is awesome hey?!?

[Shirasik]

Nah I doubt it, at least not me. I operate on F free so I only use the free ones so I dont get to use it much often plus I don't have regular internet either. African deep in the African bush. So damn I hope I didn't cause a DDOS? lol thats impossible for a n00b. Or wait...that's exactly the kind of stuff n00bs do!!!? I'm lost. Cheers! Factorio is awesome hey?!?

Just you alone? Hardly. Thousands of AI agents spamming search queries? Trivially.

[Sanqui]

From what I can tell, it's not really AI scrapers (this time) but a targeted attack on phpBB since they specifically request expensive endpoints and abuse phpBB's flawed handling of anonymous sessions. And if you've never seen a DDOS before, I can share with you how it looks on the graphs.